Ideal frequency to visit a shooting range

Shooting is a perishable skill, and something that a lot of carriers wonder is how often they should be at the shooting range. The short answer is as often as possible, but in truth a person should go with enough frequency to maintain their shooting skills.

Since it stands to reason that shooting skill is something the average carrier needs, how often should shooting practice take place? As often as reasonably possible. For some people, once or twice per week is sufficient and to others once every few months is more like it.

However, the reality is that shooting skills, like many other skills, are perishable. Just as athletes have to work out regularly to maintain their conditioning, a person who carries should be working out their shooting skills fairly regularly. Perhaps not so regularly that a person’s life is consumed by going to the range – though there are certainly worse hobbies to have – but regularly enough for a person to maintain competence. While the precise frequency necessary to do that may be a subject of some debate, consensus is something like once to twice per month. It’s not so often that the average person can’t get out and do it, but it isn’t so infrequent that any skill acquired by doing so will diminish. It isn’t even that expensive, if one only goes through a box or two at a sitting.

When at the shooting range, a person should engage in shooting that is the most beneficial to them. Target or bullseye shooting is great for shooting fundamentals and certainly for long-range rifle shooting, be it for target shooting or hunting. Skeet or trap shooting is also great for upland bird or waterfowl hunters. However, the concealed or open carrier is practicing for defensive shooting, and likely with a pistol. Therefore, a person ought to practice shooting drills that are beneficial in that context.

Defensive shootings are typically at close-range, in short time spans. Therefore, a person should practice shooting in this manner. Draw and fire drills, flash sight and point shooting are all skills that a person should be drilling in defensive shooting practice at the range, rather than merely hitting the 10-ring at 10 to 20 yards. The idea is that you need to be able to put rounds on target close-up in a hurry. Beginning shooters, as with novices with anything, should start slow and work their way up to proficiency. That said, while it is work at a skill, time spent at the range is never wasted.